Cumberland University: A Legacy of Education, Resilience, and Academic Excellence

Cumberland University, a private institution in Lebanon, Tennessee, boasts a rich history intertwined with the state's own narrative. From its founding in 1842 to its present-day commitment to academic excellence, the university has demonstrated remarkable resilience and adaptability. This article delves into the university's history, academic programs with a focus on the History Department, and athletic achievements.

A Foundation Built on Faith and Learning

Cumberland University was established in 1842 by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, receiving its Tennessee state charter the following year. In 1847, the university expanded its academic offerings with the establishment of the Cumberland School of Law, which became the first law school in Tennessee and the first west of the Appalachian Mountains. This marked a significant step in the university's commitment to providing comprehensive educational opportunities.

Overcoming Adversity: The Civil War and Rebirth

The Civil War dealt a severe blow to Cumberland University, with Confederate forces under General Joseph Wheeler burning University Hall to the ground. However, the university's spirit remained unbroken. Alumni William E. Ward etched the Latin phrase "Ex Cineribus Resurgam" (From the ashes I will arise) onto a ruined Corinthian column, a testament to the university's determination to rebuild. The mythical phoenix was adopted as the university's symbol, embodying its ability to rise from the ashes. Following the war, the faculty included former Confederate general A. P. Stewart. Cumberland University moved to its present campus location in 1892.

Transformations and Growth

After World War II, Cumberland University underwent several transformations. During the war, it served as the headquarters for the Tennessee Maneuver Area. In 1951, the Tennessee Baptist Convention closed the College of Arts and Sciences, operating only the School of Law. However, in 1956, the Board of Trust secured an amendment to the Charter, transforming Cumberland into a private, independent corporation. The College of Arts and Sciences was reopened as a two-year junior college, known as Cumberland College of Tennessee. The Board of Trust expanded the academic programs of the junior college in 1982, returning Cumberland to a four-year degree institution and resuming the name Cumberland University.

Academic Excellence at Cumberland University

For more than 180 years, Cumberland University has been committed to preparing students for a lifetime of learning, leadership, and growth.

The History Department: A Focus on Individualized Learning

The History program at CU offers small class sizes and personal attention from faculty, opportunities to research and craft individualized historical topics. The faculty of the history department are super friendly and see beyond the student. They recognize hard work and the importance of being able to apply what we learn in the classroom to our future careers. Education, specifically in history, is very important because it tells people’s stories. Often, history is overlooked, and I want to teach how history is relevant and how, even though it took place in our past, it still influences our future. History is tied to all the other subjects because history represents all human ideas.

Faculty Spotlight

Dr. Mark R. Cheathem: A graduate of Cumberland University’s undergraduate history program, Dr. Cheathem is a professor of history. Dr. Cheathem is the author or editor of nine books, including two award winners: Andrew Jackson, Southerner (2013 Tennessee History Book Award) and The Coming of Democracy: Presidential Campaigning in the Age of Jackson (2018 Phi Alpha Theta Best Subsequent Book Award). His most recent book, Who Is James K. Polk? The Presidential Election of 1844, was a finalist for the 2023 Tennessee History Book Award. Since 2015, Dr. Cheathem has been the project director and co-editor of the Papers of Martin Van Buren. Dr. Bradley will deliver the Spring 2025 Cynthia Van Buren Lecture, “Revenge or Redemption?
Dr. Tara Mitchell Mielnik: Dr. Mielnik began teaching history courses at Cumberland University, first as an adjunct in 2013, and then as full-time faculty in 2017. Her areas of emphasis include Public History and 20th century American History, with specific research interests in the built environment, the homefront in World War I, and the Depression and New Deal. Courses that she offers at Cumberland include Emergence of Modern America; Environmental History; Introduction to Public History; Museum Studies; American Crime and American Sports History, among others.

Other Academic Programs

In 1961, the Law School was sold to Samford University (then Howard College) in Birmingham, Alabama, after 114 Years. In 1995, the MBA program begins and the first class of MBA students graduate in 1997.

Campus Life: Traditions and Organizations

The university fosters a vibrant campus life with a variety of traditions and organizations. Cumberland University has three sororities and five fraternities. The sororities include the Lambda Omicron chapter of Alpha Omicron Pi and the Delta Mu chapter of Alpha Sigma Tau as well as Zeta Phi Beta (NPHC). The fraternities include the Theta Prime chapter of Kappa Sigma, the Nu chapter of Sigma Chi.

Read also: Cumberland Academy of Georgia Cost

Athletics: The Phoenix Soar

The Cumberland athletic teams are called the Phoenix (formerly known as the Bulldogs until 2016). The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Mid-South Conference (MSC) since the 2012-13 school year; which they were a member on a previous stint from 1996-97 to 2001-02. Cumberland competes in 23 intercollegiate varsity sports. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, football, golf, soccer, tennis, track & field, volleyball and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field and volleyball.

A Legacy of Athletic Achievement

The Cumberland University Sports Hall of Fame consists of individuals who have achieved excellence in athletics by either competing, coaching, or contributing in other ways. Members include those who only made an athletic impact at the university, such as volleyball player and coach Kathy Palk Slaughter and coach/contributor Mitch Walters, as well as others who went on to greater athletic notoriety at other institutions, such as Coastal Carolina University men's basketball coach Cliff Ellis and Winthrop University women's basketball coach Bud Childers. Still others, such as Allison B. Humphreys Jr.

Cumberland football began on October 26, 1894, with a 6-6 tie with Peabody and finished that first year with a 2-1-1 season record. The pinnacle of the early days of CU football was the 1903 season that began with a (6-0) win over Vanderbilt then a (0-6) loss to Sewanee and continued with a five-day road trip with victories over Alabama (44-0) November 14, 1903, LSU (41-0) November 16, 1903, and Tulane (28-0) November 18, 1903. Cumberland played a postseason game against Coach John Heisman's Clemson team on Thanksgiving Day that ended in an 11-11 tie and a record of 4-1-1.

From 1980 to 2021, Woody Hunt served as head coach of the Cumberland baseball program, compiling a 1,630-774-5 record. He was named NAIA National Coach of the Year in 2006 and was runner-up for the award four times. Hunt was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame (2013), the Boyle County (Kentucky) Sports Hall of Fame, the Cumberland University Hall of Fame, the NAIA Hall of Fame (2007), and the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame (2009). The NAIA awarded Hunt the 2019 Robert E.

Cumberland achieved a top-ten finish at the National Collegiate Cycling Association's National Championship. Cumberland achieved a National Tournament appearance for the No.

Key Milestones in Cumberland University History

1842 - Cumberland University is founded.
1847 - The School of Law is founded, it is the first in Tennessee and west of the Appalachian Mountains.
1866 - All departments of the university are in operation in various locations of Lebanon.
1942 - Almost 850k Soldiers from 25 US Army divisions, making up the Red and Blue Armies, were training for World War II. Headquartered at Cumberland University.
1946 - The Tennessee Baptist Convention assumed control of the University, ending a century of operation under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church.
1951 - The Tennessee Baptists close the College of Arts and Sciences and operate only the School of Law.
1956 - The Board of Trust secure an amendment to the Charter and change Cumberland to a private, independent corporation. The College of the Arts and Sciences is reopened as a two-year junior college, known as Cumberland College of Tennessee.
1961 - The Law School is sold to Samford University (then Howard College) in Birmingham, Alabama, after 114 Years.
1982 - The Board of Trust expands the academic programs of the junior college returning Cumberland to a four-year, degree institution. It resumed the old name of Cumberland University. It spent 28 years as a junior school.
1984 - First Phoenix Ball is held.
1986 - The first class of Baccalaureate Degrees graduates.
1995 - MBA program begins.
1997 - First class of MBA students graduate.
2015 - Dr. Paul C. Stumb is named the 26th President of CU.
2017 - Cumberland University rises to record enrollment.

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